Airplanes and Airports

Central Ohio has been at the center of advancements in aviation since the Wright Brothers’ return to Dayton, Ohio, after their historic flight in 1903. In 1910 the world’s first cargo flight transporting 200 pounds of silk arrived at Driving Park from Dayton. After World War I, veteran pilots established Norton Field, the first air field in Columbus, which became a hub for some of the most notable early aviators, like Charles Lindbergh and William “Billy” Mitchell. Columbus’ air traffic outgrew the military air field when Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) requested Columbus be a main transfer point on its 48-hour transcontinental route. In 1928, the City of Columbus passed a bond to construct Port Columbus, which included hangars for TAT and Curtiss Flying Service, an aeronautics training school. The geographical footprint of the airport continued to expand into the 1950s.

In the 1960s, Port Columbus hit many milestones including full jet service offered by Trans World Airlines (TWA), a combination of TAT and Western Air Express (WAE). In 2004 a new control tower opened, and in 2016 the airport’s name changed to John Glenn Columbus International in recognition of this key milestone. While Port Columbus continues to be the central hub for commercial air travel, other airports throughout Columbus catered to personal, business, cargo, mail and military transport, such as Linden Airport (north), Bolton Field (southwest), Rickenbacker International (south), and Don Scott Airport (central, The Ohio State University).

“Coast to Coast in 48 Hours”

The first flight out of Port Columbus was July 8, 1929, with thousands of spectators in attendance, including Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. Amelia Earhart was among the 19 passengers who set off for Oklahoma on their transcontinental journey.

Courtesy of Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Roy Knabenshue’s Airship at the Ohio Statehouse

In 1905, Lancaster native and hobbyist pilot Augustus Roy Knabenshue flew an airship from the Ohio State Fairgrounds to the Ohio Statehouse lawn.

Eddie Rickenbacker

Edward “Eddie” Rickenbacker was born in Columbus in 1890. Although he was regarded as one of the best race car drivers in the 1910s, he is most known for his skill as a combat pilot in World War I. Lockbourne Army Air Base was posthumously named Rickenbacker International in his honor.

Courtesy of Ohio History Connection

Jerrie Mock and “The Spirit of Columbus”

Bexley resident Geraldine “Jerrie” Lois Fredritz Mock (1925-2014) was the first woman to fly solo around the world, taking 29 days. This photograph shows Mock posing next to her 1953 Cessna 180, called “The Spirit of Columbus.”

North American Aviation plant

In 1940, the Curtiss-Wright Corporation leased land to construct a manufacturing plant next to Port Columbus, producing 6,000 naval aircraft for World War II. In 1942, the U.S. government converted the plant to a naval air facility, which was later leased by North American Aviation in 1950 at the start of the Korean War.

Courtesy of Ohio History Connection

1960s-1970s Port Columbus

To accommodate the growth of commercial air travel, the original Fifth Avenue terminal was decommissioned and construction began on a new $12 million terminal in 1953 that would be centrally located on airport property. By 1958, Port Columbus was the nation’s 16th busiest airport.